CE-106 Geomatics - I

Contouring-II
by

Jayanta Kumar Ghosh, Ph.D.

Geomatics Engineering Group
Civil Engineering Department
Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee
Roorkee Uttarakhand 247667 INDIA
gjkfumfce@iitr.ernet.in
 CONTENTS
• INTRODUCTION
• CONTOURING
– FUNDAMENTALS
- METHODS
- Direct methods
- Indirect Methods
- Grid method
- Radial method
CONTOUR PLOTTING
• AUTOMATED CONTOURING
• SUMMARY
• Glossary
• REVIEW QUESTIONS
• FURTHER READING

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 INTRODUCTION
•Contours can be drawn/plotted from spot heights.
•Total stations provides spot heights as these provide 3D in a
single go.
•Sufficient number of spot heights are required to represent
the ground surface accurately on a plan.
•Spot heights do not coincide with the exact contour value.
•To consider contours at specified interval, position of points
having of specific spot height need to be identified.

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 CONTOURING
• Locating contours in a plan or map is known
as contouring.
• Requires planimetric position of points and
elevations of the plotted points.
• Contouring involves vertical control for
elevation of points and horizontal control for
planimetric positions of points.
• In digital land surveying, a 3D control point
established in the project area by GPS
surveying may be used both as Horizontal and
Vertical control point.

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 CONTOURING METHODS
• Contouring through indirect methods
• Points are considered, generally as corners of
well-shaped geometrical figures such as squares,
rectangles, and spot levels are determined.
• Elevations of desired contours are interpolated in
between spot levels
• Contour lines are drawn by joining points of
equal elevation.
• Two different methods usually employed for
contouring: (1) Grid method and (2) Radial line
method
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 Grid method
• Considered area gets divided into grid or series of squares.
• Grid size depends on the nature of the terrain, the contour interval
required and the scale of the map desired.
• Grids may not be of the same size throughout but may vary
depending upon the requirement and field conditions.
• Grid plotted to the scale of the map and the spot levels of the grid
corners are entered.
• Contours of desired values are then located by interpolation.
• Special care are required to be taken to provide spot levels of salient
features of the ground such as hilltops, deepest points of the
depressions, and their measurements from respective corners of the
grids, for correct depiction of the features.
• Method used for large scale mapping and at average precision.

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 Grid method

Table from: Elements of Engineering Survey (2016) by Jayanta Kumar Ghosh, CreateSpace Independent
Publishing Platform (An Amazon Company) [https://www.createspace.com/5121778].

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 Radial method
• Observation points are plotted to the scale
of the map along radial lines at known
angular interval at each station and spot
levels are entered.
• The contours of desired values are then
located by interpolation.
• This method is convenient in hilly terrain
with level stations chosen at high points so
as to command a large area from each.

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 Radial method

Table from: Elements of Engineering Survey (2016) by Jayanta Kumar Ghosh, CreateSpace Independent
Publishing Platform (An Amazon Company) [https://www.createspace.com/5121778].

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 Drawing of contours
• Points of desired elevation, at which contours are
desired to be drawn, are interpolated in between
observed points.
• Contours are drawn by joining points of equal
elevation by smooth curves keeping in mind the
principal characteristics of contour.
• Contours are inked in brown to distinguish them
from other features.
• Contour value is written down in a gap in the line
provided for the purpose.
• Every fifth contour is drawn bolder to make it
distinguishable from the rest.

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 AUTOMATED CONTOURING
• Data for automated contouring are represented in arrays
of points.
• Data are made available in two basic geometric
configurations
– grid method
– irregular method
– a combination.
• In the array, computer interpolates between points along
grid lines to locate contour points and then draws contour
lines.
• Disadvantages:
– Critical points and features may not present at corner points
– Provides mis-representations.

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 AUTOMATED CONTOURING…
• Irregular method : spot levels at all high and low points as well as along change in
slope.
• DEM produced at irregular spaced configurations of surveyed points.
• Create TIN (Triangulated Irregular Network) model of the terrain from the spot
elevations.
• Different criteria may be adopted for development TIN model - equilateral
network.
• Automated contouring assumes – triangle sides have constant slope and surface
area of any triangle is a plane.
• Elevations of contour crossings are interpolated along triangle edges and they
change directions only in the triangle boundaries
• Disadvantages: computer is unable to interpret the curved thread of the stream;
results in improper interpolation as it constructs several triangle sides across
feature/object.
• Additional information must be provided to computer assisted systems to depict
contours accurately such as Breaklines or fault lines.

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 AUTOMATED CONTOURING…
• Breaklines are linear topographic features that delineate the intersections of two
surfaces that have uniform slopes and thus, defines the change in grade.
• Streams, lake shores, roads, railway lines are examples of breaklines or fault lines.
• Automated mapping algorithms use these lines to define sides of the triangles that
form the TIN models and thus elevations are interpolated among them.
• Curved breaklines must have enough data points so that when adjacent ones are
connected with straight lines, they adequately define the feature’s alignment.
• For automated contouring, field points must be selected carefully, breaklines identified
and input data to meet the system’s assumptions.
• Features be collected in groups, to avoid missing of data.
• Data be collected in order of planimetric features, breaklines, significant controlling
points of elevations, sufficient grade points.
• Grade points through grid pattern, may be of different sizes but of geometrically
strong.
• Larger spacing for gradual slope and dense patterns for undulating terrain.

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 Summary
1. Contours are obtained from spot heights.
2. Sufficient number of spot heights are required to represent the ground surface
accurately on a plan.
3. Method of locating contours in a plan or map is known as contouring.
4. Elevations of desired contours are interpolated in between spot levels
5. Contour lines are drawn by joining points of equal elevation.
6. At present, contouring may be done automatically using computer.
7. For automated contouring, features be collected in groups, to avoid missing of data.
8. For automated contouring, data be collected in order of planimetric features,
breaklines, significant controlling points of elevations, sufficient grade points.

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 Review Questions
1. Describe different methods for contouring.
2. Write the advantages and disadvantages of
automated method of contouring.

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 Further reading
1. Surveying for Engineers (2006) by J. Uren &
W.F.Price
2. Elementary Surveying – An introduction to
Geomatics(2012) By C.D.Ghilani & P.R.Wolf.

Next Class
“MAPPING FUNDAMENTALS”

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Thanking You